High plains drought could mean fires, crop damage

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The amount of moisture received across the United States’ southern high plains since October has been ridiculously low, and forecasters warned Friday that the intensifying drought has resulted in critical fire danger and some winter wheat crops being reduced to stubble across several states.

Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-gammon said at a national briefing that some areas have received less than one-tenth of an inch of rain over the past five months.

The lack of rain combined with above-normal temperatures across parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas have left livestock watering tanks dry, agricultural fields wind-blown and rangeland charred.

“Of course, you can never predict something this severe several months in advance, but we did know going in it was going to be a challenging cold season for the southern plains,” Nielsen-gammon said.

He warned that warm, dry weather is expected to continue through the spring. That could mean continued crop damage, dwindling irrigation supplies and more fires.

Because of the dry conditions, the National Weather Service issued fire warnings Friday for most of Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, southern Kansas, northeastern New Mexico, southeastern Colorado and southeastern Missouri.

Oklahoma Forestry Services has already requested and received firefighters and equipment from Alabama, Kentucky and Louisiana because of the fire threat. Additional firefighters and equipment from Georgia and Mississippi are on the way.